Housing Uprising in Spain

israa’ and Leila Al Shami host Leila Nashawati, a Madrid-based Spanish-Syrian writer, human rights activist, and professor at Carlos III University, to learn about the housing uprising that has swept Spain since late September.

The protests began September 23, 2026, when 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from the home she had lived in for seventy years. This eviction was enforced after a long legal battle with the real estate company Urbagestón. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets that day, and within a week an encampment had taken over Puerta del Sol and spread to public squares across the country.

In this conversation, israa’, Leila, and Leila explore why the protest erupted and how they connect to the 15-M movement of 2011, what the movement is demanding, what the encampments look like, and how the Spanish government is responding.

Further Reading:
The Encampment Movement against Evictions and Gentrification

Y de repente, una sacudida: apuntes al vuelo desde la acampada de Sol

Los Sindicatos de Inquilinas exigen la aprobación inmediata del Decreto Maricarmen
The movement’s five demands.

Guest
Leila Nashawati

Host:
israa' (⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,  ⁠⁠IG)⁠⁠
Leila ( Bluesky)

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